Wednesday, 17 July 2013

Trash, Treat or Stash. The Korean make-up products I've discovered are better off in the bin, the ones you should treat yourself to every now and again, and the ones that are so good that you should definitely make sure you have a stash of them.I'm like a magpie when it comes to shiny things. Nick's noticed how I slow down as soon as we walk past the small stalls that line the busy streets in Korea, browsing all the shiny bits and bibs. I'm a huge fan of sparkly nail varnishes. My favourite back home was the red glitter nail varnish by Barry M. In Korea they love glittery nails, so I have been fighting the temptation to try all the colors from every shop since I got here. Luckily a couple of people have bought me various shades of Innisfree's glittery nail varnish as gifts. I recently forgot that I had this multicoloured one, and bought a similar one from Etude House, so here is how they compare...

Cost: A bottle of Innisfree nail varnish costs ₩2,500, which is around £1.50. Not bad compared to the Barry M one I would buy back at home which was £2.99. The Etude House 'Dear My Party' glitter range is a little more at ₩3,000, which is still under £2.Prettiness: Even in the bottle, I think that the Innisfree polish is more reflective and shinier. The little glittery pieces are cut smaller and in different shapes, making it sparkle more, leaving the Etude House one looking a little dull. They both have flecks of gold, silver, green, blue, pink and purple, and both look super shiny disco-esque.Usability: In my opinion, the Innisfree varnish seems to dry a lot quicker. It doesn't take so many layers to make the glitter look like a solid coat, rather than a clear glittery nail coat over the top of the dominant layer. It's saved hours of painstaking sitting and repainting as I wait for the Etude House product to dry, which will then stay soft for hours and by the end of the day looks awful. I'm really impatient when it comes to my nails drying, so the quicker it dries, the better for me!

Overall: Treat yourself to a bottle of the Innisfree glitter. If you're feeling wild, buy all of the colours and dodge the magpies you'll attract. I wouldn't say completely avoid the Etude House ones, they do have some unusual glitters I haven't seen anywhere else, but be prepared for a long wait for them to dry.